Air, Earth and Magic
by Veelana
Summary: Voldemort marked Neville as his equal. Neville is not very pleased about his Hogwarts letter. Slash, AU, Threesome. If this squicks you, go away.
1. chapter 1

Title: Air, Earth and Magic

Chapter 1/?

Author: Veelana veelanachello.at

Warnings: AU, threesome

Pairing: Neville/Draco/Harry

Raiting: R (eventually), PG for this part

Disclaimer: The Characters are not mine – sadly. They belong to JKR. I'm not making any money with this (or anyrhing else), just check my bank account...

Archive: Yes to list archives, everyone else – ask and thou wilt recieve

Feedback: Pretty please? With sugar on it? purrrrrr

Authors note: Voldemort marked Neville as his equal. This is From Nevilles POV, Harrys POV might follow if this one works

Will eventually become R, I promise. Please be patient, sex under 14 is a major squick for me. I might even let them grow up a little longer

* * *

You know, my life had not been hell up to this point. 

Yes, I was beaten up in school sometimes, bullied by my classmates and mistreated by my family – but I always had my pride. I mean, I never did especially good in any of my classes, but at least the teachers liked me. I wasn't a bad student, I did my homework, paid attention in class and never was any trouble. I never bothered them.

So why did everything have to change? Why did I get that stupid letter from that stupid school that marked me as a freak?

Yeah, I know, because my parents got killed by some weirdo and I survived. I'm a Hero and stuff. I just don't feel like being the „boy who lived" for some crazy people who think they are wizards.

I had to get stuff I never new I would need. I spent a bunch of money I didn't know I had on books for subjects I never new I'd have. I had to buy ridiculous looking clothes. I had to get on a train that was powered by a steam engine and departed off a platform that didn't exist.

Then I'm in that one empty compartment and people come in and stare at me. I bet they all want to se my scar – I'm glad its not somewhere noticeable, like on my forehead or something. Its pretty well hidden, though.

I don't remember most of the other kids I met on the train. All the boys and girls that come in uninvited, stare at me and leave again, mix up in a blur.

Only two faces stand out

One blonde, one dark

Air and earth, dragon and lion. As different as they can be, but equally beautiful.

I don't know why, but these two matter.

The rest of the ride passed in silence, I think I made it quite clear that I don't want to be bothered. We get to the freak school eventually and are picked up by a giant. We cross a lake in small boats to get to the castle.

Hogwarts. My new home. A freak show. Welcome to my nightmare.

Maybe it won't be so bad, dragon and lion are in my boat. We're not talking, just looking at the castle, the boats, each other.

I know I'm going to be sorted into one of four houses. I can only hope we'll end up together.

I can sense they don't like each other much. It's not something as personal as hate, it just feels like they know they aren't supposed to talk with someone so different. 

When did I get so sensitive to other peoples feelings?

I think it's just them, though. 

I try to make a start. 

„Hey", I say, struggling to find something to say that sounds smart and funny, „I'm Neville" 

Well done, genius! 

„I know" sais Air, the blonde kid. „I'm Draco Malfoy, future Slytherin Prefect and potions genious" 

At least HE is smart and funny. We talk, and Earth introduces himself as Harry. We arrive at the castle and climb out of the boat – not quite friends, but clearly on our way to it. 

We get into some small room and an old lady gives us instructions on what to do, one of the girls even takes notes. 

We are led to a gigantic hall after a while, and we get called on stage. I have to sit on the chair to put on that battered old hat before Harry and Draco, but I know Draco wants to be in Slytherin, so I'll try to be sorted into that house. Harry said he wanted to be a Gryffindor, but he wasn't too sure. I felt it. 

OK, so the hat is on my head and starts talking to me how I am a hero and how I'm supposed to act like one and tat he's probably required to sort me into Gryffindor, but all I can think is that I might end up in Gryffindor with the girl who took notes instead of Slytherin with Air and Earth and that I might be all alone and 

„Hufflepuff" shouts the hat. What?? Isn't that the house where the lazy people go?  Hufflepuff table erupts with applause. Hey, I can't blame them. They just got „the boy who lived" sorted into their house. 

Draco is being sorted. Into Slythrin, of course. 

 And Harry goes to Gryffindor 

Everything is wrong. I never wanted to be here, and as soon as I make a friend (or two), they are taken from me.   
I stare at the tablecloth. Food appears by magic, but I don't want to eat. People around me start talking to me, but I don't want to hear anything.

I'm alone. NOW my life is hell.

end chapter 1


	2. chapter 2

**A/N: thanks for the review! This one is short, but the next one will be up soon.**

I was wrong. Hufflepuff isn't where the lazy people go, it's where the stupid people go. At least, that's what the kids in the other houses think, especially the ones in Ravenclaw. I hope it's not true because I don't consider myself stupid. I might not be the smartest kid on the block, but I know a hell of a lot of things that they don't.

Chemistry, for example. Sure, I never new that you could brew magical potions just by combining more or less ordinary stuff, but my chemistry set gives me one hell of a head start. That's a class I do very well in – and not the only one. I'm surprised at how easy this is. Sure, there's a lot of homework and I actually have to write with a quill, but I'm getting used to it.

Every thing else is a totally different story. Sure, my housemates are nice kids and most of them grew up in the real world, but I miss Harry and Draco so much. Ernie and Susan are great friends and study buddies and I don't know what I actually miss about Harry and Draco, but I do miss IT. Whatever IT may be. Secretly, I'm glad that they didn't end up in the same house. It's egoistic, I know, but if I can't be with them, I don't want them to be friends and forget about me. I barely see them in class – Harry I meet in Herbology (very close to biology, just more dirt), Draco in charms. Somehow, we have most of our classes with Ravenclaw.

I really want to meet up with them, but I haven't had the time yet. Maybe on the weekend. I'll try to get them without their escorts.

But just as I go to the library where I know Draco hangs out without his two thugs once in a while, I am summoned to the headmaster's office.

Professor Sprout takes me there.

I'm offered lemon drops immediately.

"So how do you feel, Neville" the headmaster winks at me and offers me more sweets. "Do you feel at home already?"

What am I supposed to say? No Sir, I hate it here? Can I please go home? I want to be with my friends? I don't think anything like that would be helpful, so I don't say anything. I look at my shoes.

"Hmm?" Says Dumbledore, "Aren't you happy that I took you away from your abusive family?"

My shoes look very interesting today. My family wasn't really abusive; I just had to do a lot of chores. I was taken away from the family he's talking about by social services three years ago. I was happy then, but this man didn't have anything to do with this. Am I supposed to be grateful?

"I had to leave you at you aunt and uncles house, you know? They are your only relatives."

HE left me in the care of that pervert? Who made me sleep in a cupboard? Who beat me up with a belt? The first time he tried to take me to his bed, I ran away and called the police. I might be an orphan, but I didn't have to take this.

I still don't say anything.

The headmaster sighs. "Go back to your dorm and do your homework, young man", he says, "You'll feel home very soon."

I doubt it. I shake his hand, promising myself to wash my hand as soon as possible, and run down the spiral staircase.

I can't believe what I just heard. What an asshole. Tries to take advantage of kids in need? I bet he wanted me to feel like he's my best friend. Too bad I released myself from that perverted family and didn't wait for him to do so.


	3. chapter 3

I meet Draco in the library. Without his thugs. Seems like they attached themselves to him uninvited, like leeches, 'cause his family is rich – at least, that's what he told me. And I have no reason to doubt him. We talk for quite some time before Harry joins us.

I sit on a comfy couch in the library, Harry to my left and Draco to my right and I feel happy for the first time in a while.

"What did the headmaster want from you?" Harry has this amazing network of spies and knows everything that goes on around the school. Nice to know he's interested in what I do.

I tell them what happened. And once I started talking about it, I can't stop. I tell them everything – about my uncle, the cupboard, the abuse and the police. About my family and that I miss them a lot. About the talk with Dumbledore.

I don't know why I feel like I can trust them so completely – it's just a feeling. I just know I can.

We talk for a long time. Draco tells us about his family, his house elves, and how lonely you can feel when you're an only child in a 100 bedroom manor. About his strict father and his very absent mother. About long dinner tables where no talking is possible. About housekeepers and butlers.

Harry, of course, is his complete opposite. Again. He's grown up with three little sisters, a loving father and a mom who cooks (according to his words) like a goddess. He tells us about his godfather and about heavenly cookies. About meals in a loud and stuffed kitchen in a big old house near London. About playing Quidditch in the backyard. About lots of friends and a Muggle school.

"Why did you go to a Muggle school?" asks Draco, suspicious of anything that sounds even remotely non-wizardly.

"Oh," Harry almost squirms. Seems he feels this is kind of a character flaw. "My Mum is Muggleborn, you know? And she wants all of us to have a good education in the non wizard subjects. That's why I'm doing Summer school, too."

We talk and talk. I don't even remember all of it, but it is good to sit here and talk about normal stuff. About teachers, homework, housemates that snore and classes. Seems Draco likes Potions just as much as I do. Harry hates it. He can't stand the Professor – seems he already gave him detention for not listening. He had to clean cauldrons for a whole evening while Snape was glaring over his shoulder. I haven't received one of his famous glares yet, I never gave him any reason to be mad at me.

Draco, on the other hand, can't stand professor McGonagall. Harry likes her, of course.

They can't agree on any subject or teacher except Dumbledore. After what I told them, they don't like him at all. And Quidditch – they both like it and can't stop arguing about their teams. I kinda feel left out when they do, because I don't know a lot about that subject.

I learned how to fly a broom and I recently learned the Quidditch rules – but somehow I can't seem to get as enthusiastic about some kind of flying soccer as they do.

The Library is empty when we finally leave, it is late. As we approach the place where we need to go into different directions, I feel a little lost. I don't want to leave them, I want to keep them. I want to stay with them and talk until the morning. I want to…

"Good Night, Neville," says Harry. He looks sad – I don't think he wants to leave, either. I hug him.

"Good night, Harry" I whisper. "Thank you for listening"

I hug Draco, too. It feels a little awkward, standing in the cold hallway, hugging other 11 year old boys, but I don't think they mind.

"Thank you, Draco, for listening to me."

My mom brought me up to be polite. Also, I really feel like thanking them. They listened to me, talked to me like human beings and for the first time in a while I felt almost normal and happy. Not like a freak. Not like the hero of the wizarding world. Not like someone who has to be thankful for being saved. Like a boy.

They hug each other, too, before we go off into different directions.

I don't think Harry and Draco would get along very well without me. But I need them. Draco with his upper class attitude and his obvious nobility is the cool air I need to breath and popular Harry, with his network of friend and his incorruptible sense of humour is the earth to keep me grounded. I wonder what I must be to them?


End file.
